Exclusive: here is the only watch whose hands are not photographed at 10:10.
By Olivier Müller
It’s a true classic, or a false impertinence. The new Vacheron Constantin Égérie watch is stunning! Unveiled at the beginning of the year, the Égérie collection is based on a simple but bold aesthetic principle: the date, usually positioned at 3 o’clock, is now tilted between 1 and 2 o’clock. A technical feat? Far from it: the movement is simply rotated 45° to the left. The crown has also followed suit. No particular difficulty, but an offbeat, fun aesthetic. Similar examples were seen at Jaquet Droz, with a Grande Seconde off-center, this time by 45° to the right. The exercise is the same and, in this case too, you can spot the magic trick by checking that the crown has also followed the movement.
However, the Automatic Egeria is not only distinguished by this singular asymmetry. The piece is now equipped with a new pink gold bracelet, which the manufacture wanted to be “supple and fluid”. On the dial side, we discover a pleated guilloche effect that is reminiscent of a fan or a precious fabric. Fans will also note another curiosity: to create an axis of symmetry despite this displaced date, the “Vacheron Constantin” signature has also been moved between 7 and 9 o’clock.
A gala piece, set with 92 diamonds, 10 pieces are available exclusively on Net-à-Porter until December 19, when they will arrive in Vacheron Constantin sales outlets.
